ABSTRACT Introduction: “Ghana‘s current Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 319 per 100,000 live births makes achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births or less by 2030 appears to be deceptive‖ (Gudu & Addo, 2017). Even though skilled attendance during childbirth is a crucial approach to decreasing maternal mortality, the proportion of deliveries taking place within health facilities where such assistance is provided is very low in Ghana...
ABSTRACT In spite of the available modern technologies for dealing with ill-health, many people continue to resort to divination in the search for therapy. The persistence of the practice of divination in health seeking suggests that there is a considerable use derived from its practice. Against this background this study was conducted to assess the extent to which divination influences health-seeking behaviour as people utilise modern healthcare facilities in the Talensi-Nabdam district in ...
ABSTRACT Background Male involvement in maternal healthcare has become critical given that men as the heads of the family control the finances, are decision-makers and provide emotional and social support which directly influence the antenatal, delivery, and post-natal care. Male involvement can, therefore, have diverse positive effects on maternal health in the form of reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. In Kpone Sub-Municipality where poor maternal outcomes are still recorded, i...
ABSTRACT The Primary Health Care in Ghana which started as fa r back as 1978 is based on the three tier structure namely the District; subdistrict and community levels. The Subdistrict level is to act as a link between the District level and the Community level. However, the subdistrict level was recognised as a weak link in translating policies into significant health impact by the Ministry o f Health, (MOH). In an attempt to address these problems, subdistrict health systems were form ed ...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The importance of disease surveillance in any health system is not debatable. For the continued health of a community the ability to detect single diseases or outbreaks, both potentially harmful to the population in general, is fundamental to maintaining a healthy community. A novel surveillance system called the Community Based Surveillance system (CBSS), started in the Northern Region of Ghana in January 1998. The guiding principle in the development of the CBSS is “the ...
ABSTRACT Background: Food and water borne illnesses are of great concern to all humanity and for this reason there is a need for every individual to take part in curbing this condition since it is preventable to a large extent. This could be achievable when the contributing factors are well known. This study therefore sought to assess the factors that contribute to food and water borne illnesses among households in the Ashaiman Municipality. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was car...
ABSTRACT The family planning acceptor rate in the Nkwanta District is generally very low - 3.0% as compared to the National figure of 16.8%. This is against the background of the fact that the district is a deprived one in its' early stages of development, a fact which makes population control very crucial if the new development is not outstripped by an unregulated population growth. This study which was a descriptive qualitative and quantitative cross-sectional one, was designed with the obj...
ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS continue to affect millions of people especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the developed countries 10-30% of people infected present late for care whiles in developing countries 40-63% of people infected with the disease present late for clinical care. Late presentation classified as WHO stage 3 or 4 of infection is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and presents the opportunity of onward transmission of the infection. Antiretroviral therapy ART initiated at a...
ABSTRACT Road traffic accidents have numerous public health and economic repercussions to developing countries, of which Ghana is no exception. In addition to death, there is maiming, financial cost and psychological ramifications of road accidents on victims and families. In Accra, the problem of increased numbers of motorcycle accidents along with the increase in the use of motorcycles to help escape traffic congestion is a major source of concern. Thus, this research wass designed to inves...
ABSTRACT Introduction Childhood immunization is one of the most successful public health interventions worldwide. It has contributed enormously to public health including the eradication of small pox and near eradication of poliomyelitis. High immunisation coverage is vital in the control, elimination and eradication of vaccine preventable diseases which accounts for many childhood morbidities and mortalities worldwide. The introduction of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has made...
ABSTRACT Background: Even though skilled birth attendance is useful for reducing maternal mortalities and morbidities, utilisation of skilled delivery in Ghana is sub-optimal. The main purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the utilisation of skilled delivery in the East Akim District of the Eastern region, Ghana. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study employing quantitative research methods was carried out among 352 postnatal women attending child welfare cl...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Worldwide, occupational injuries have become an important public health issue leading to greater economic burden for a country. The Brewing Industry remains a very important industry that contributes greatly to the socioeconomic development of the country. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that about 2.3 million fatalities annually occur from involuntary occupational injuries and diseases. Even though several efforts have been put in place to minimiz...
ABSTRACT Background There is little interest in the sexual lives of PLWPD. It is usually assumed that PLWPD have little or no desire to engage in sexual intimacy, marriage or procreation. Little attention is paid to these aspects of the lives of PLWPD. PLWPD are often thought of as incapable of enjoying the same rights as people without physical disability and thus discouraged from pursuing marriage, sexual intimacy and childbearing. This study explored perceptions about marriage of people li...
ABSTRACT Background: Quality of life (QOL) assessment is recommended to better plan and distribute health care resources with the aim of achieving a better quality of life. Chronic diseases adversely affect the quality of life, and there is also generally an increase of herbal medicine use in chronic disease patients. However, it is unclear whether there is a direct link between the use of herbal medicines and quality of life, particularly among patients with chronic diseases. Objective: The ...
ABSTRACT Background Infants who acquire HIV infection vertically experience rapid deterioration, usually leading to death. Early initiation of ART can reverse this trend. The WHO therefore recommends virological HIV testing in all exposed infants by six weeks, and if positive, promptly initiate ART. Despite the implementation of early infant testing in Ghana, coverage among eligible infants remains low and infants are tested late, resulting in erosion of possible benefits. Study Objectives Th...